


My Heart in your Eyes

by weepingnaiad



Category: Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Community: cottoncandy_bingo, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Matchmaking, Valentine's Day, cotton candy bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-29
Updated: 2012-12-29
Packaged: 2017-11-22 21:30:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/614537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weepingnaiad/pseuds/weepingnaiad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Summary:</b> Natasha thinks she is immune to the craziness of Valentine's Day but just maybe she's not as immune as she believes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Heart in your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [clio_jlh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clio_jlh/gifts).



> **Beta:** As ever, my brain twin, and soul sister, abigail89, wrangled my words into something readable and coherent. I will never be able to convey my gratitude, bb. But, of course, I fiddle even after posting, so any mistakes are all on me.
> 
>  **A/N:** Fill for my Cotton Candy Bingo square: _Making heart eyes_. This little tidbit is dedicated to the wonderful clio_jlh. 
> 
> **Disclaimer:** These are Marvel and Whedon's characters used in the spirit of creative commons. I promise to return them with smiles on.

Natasha knew this holiday brought out the crazy in otherwise sane people. She’d seen it happen enough times even within the carefully restrained environment at SHIELD. But this managed to make even Clint’s arrow-laden proposal to Coulson pale in comparison. And somehow she’d been roped into the whole blasted conspiracy. If Pepper herself hadn’t asked, Natasha would have made Stark eat his favor. Shaking her head, she double-checked Rogers’ current location, made sure he was still an hour out as the final touches were laid.

Clint breezed past with flowers, nudging her in the ribs before he set the huge arrangement in the center of the table for two.

“Clint. That won’t work,” Natasha chided as she slid the over-sized vase to the side.

“Why? What’s the problem? Flowers go in the middle—”

“Only if they don’t actually want to _see_ each other.”

Clint shrugged. “I didn’t order the largest arrangement in the shop. I’m just the delivery guy.”

Natasha glanced at the table one last time, making sure everything was set before she leaned on the table beside Clint. “Of course you didn’t. Flowers aren’t your style. Ridiculous love notes on the tip of an arrow are more your speed,” she teased, elbowing him back for earlier.

He grunted as the jab connected, but that didn’t stop a besotted grin from appearing on his face.

“Well stand up. Let me look at you.” She made a twirling motion with her hand as he stood on command. Despite her firm conviction that today was nothing but a cheap commercialization of something unreal, she offered him a gentle smile in return. Marriage looked good on him. The black shirt and black suit with its thin, shiny lapels was so obviously Stark’s influence that she had to restrain a chuckle, but Clint’s tie choice, a dark purple, wrested it from her lips.

“Too much?” he asked a bit self-consciously.

“Never, bratishka,” she reassured. Coulson had been good for Clint, but he still had a ways to go to recover completely from Loki’s possession and his own past. That never kept Natasha from giving him shit when he needed it, though. She hooked her leg around his calf and grabbed his arm, pulling him forward, then twisting his arm behind his back. “But next time, skip the Stark suit. You don’t need the embellishments.”

“Nat! What the fuck!” Clint cried out, but didn’t struggle.

She just laughed and pushed him away, one eye arching to the stylized clock on the wall. “You should go. Can’t keep your _husband_ waiting.”

Clint’s eyes followed hers. They widened comically and he raced off, muttering, “Dammit, Stark! You and your crazy schemes! If I’m late, I’m siccing Phil on you!”

They said that love was in the air, but Natasha thought it might be something in the water instead. The entire team, barring Natasha, had paired off. And, yes, Tony and Steve were long overdue (Natasha hoped that Tony revealing his feelings for Steve would finally put an end to the ridiculous tension between the two team leaders), but Bruce and Darcy had been an unlooked for surprise. And running into them necking in the kitchen was not high on Natasha’s list right now. She just wanted to get everything ready as she’d agreed to and then retreat to her rooms for some much-earned solitude.

They jumped apart and Bruce turned back to the stove, a flush high on his cheeks. Darcy’s eyes were unfocused, her lipstick smudged, and her chest heaving, but her grin was unrepentant.

“Hey, lady!” Darcy waved. “Bruce has everything ready, so we were just checking one last time and then we’ll be on our way!”

Darcy talked at a fast clip normally, caught in the act only revved her engine further. Natasha just blinked, hiding an inner smirk as Darcy shuffled closer to Bruce and fumbled for his arm. “C’mon, babe.”

Bruce looked up and met Natasha’s eyes before ducking his head to look at Darcy. The look they shared could only be described as goofy and ridiculously sappy. Natasha bit back a sigh. Everyone truly had lost their minds. Not for the first time did she wonder if Loki had put some sort of love potion in their water. She was the only one impervious it seemed.

“Everything’s set. Tell Tony not to forget the salad,” Bruce offered softly from the doorway. “And have a good evening yourself.”

“Got it. Thanks. Have fun,” Natasha offered, surprising Darcy. Her eyes widened then she gave Natasha a smirk and a wink.

Natasha might have originally questioned Fury’s sanity for hiring her as Coulson’s PA, but there seemed to be little that could dull Darcy’s spirit. And Natasha was finding that Darcy had even grown on her. Darcy made Bruce happy and that made Natasha happy. Maybe there _was_ something in the air that had gotten to Natasha, too.

Her Stark-phone trilled from the counter. Picking it up without looking, she answered, “Stark, where are you? Everyone’s cleared out and Steve’ll be here soon.”

_“Hey, petite, dark and scary! There’s been a little hold up here. Pepper’ll explain everything.”_

“Pepper?” Natasha asked, involuntarily glancing down at her own clothes. She’d never admit it to anyone, but she was more than a little attracted to Pepper all the while being oddly intimidated by her. It was an unnerving and altogether unfamiliar feeling for Natasha. Clint noticed her reticence around Stark’s CEO and unabashedly teased her about it when they were alone. But Natasha still hadn’t gotten the nerve to do much more than stand quietly on the sidelines when Pepper was around.

_”She should be arriving any minute,” Stark said. “Jarvis’ll send her up.”_

“Wait, what?!” she called into the phone, but it was too late. Stark had already disconnected.

Swearing, Natasha looked down at her clothes and dashed into her room to change out of the yoga pants and loose tee she’d been wearing.

Jarvis warned her that Pepper’s arrival was imminent just as Natasha stepped out of her bedroom, her casual clothes exchanged for slacks and a soft sweater. There was little more she could do, but it was an improvement. Chest heaving, she took a few calming breaths as the elevator doors slid open.

“Natasha!” Pepper greeted, holding her hand out as she stepped into the room. She looked as gorgeous as ever in a smart suit and heels, her strawberry blond hair shining in the sudden spot lighting.

Natasha glanced up, suspicious.

“Jarvis? What’s going on?” Natasha asked aloud, shaking her head at Pepper’s confused expression.

The AI didn’t immediately reply and Pepper spoke up. “Jarvis? What’s Tony up to?”

The large television lit up at that moment to show Natasha’s teammates waving at them, each from a different location with Phil and Clint front and center.

“Hey, Tasha. I’d apologize for going along with another one of Tony’s schemes, but this one was a good one.” He glanced at Phil and there was another of those looks… what did Clint call it? Hearteyes?

“Clint?” Natasha growled.

But it was Phil who answered. “We want you to be happy. It was you that woke me up to what was before me. Allow me—”

“Us!” Clint interrupted.

“Allow _us_ to return the favor,” Phil finished.

Natasha recognized the warmth from a spike of adrenaline shooting through her blood. It was the same as when she readied for a fight, but with one difference: her stomach was never in knots and she never blushed. Ever. But she was now. She blamed Clint for that. For _this._ He was the one that had dragged her away from her former life, brought her into SHIELD, given her a home and a family. People to love. It had to be Clint’s fault that Natasha had these feelings now, and not sisterly ones for Pepper, either.

She kept her eyes on the screen, refusing to turn even when she felt Pepper move to her side.

“Tony?” Pepper asked, her voice taking on that frosty chill that made even Tony Stark reconsider what he’d done or was planning to do.

“Sorry for the cloak and dagger, Pep!” Tony chirped, undeterred. “But you were both being awfully obtuse!” And Natasha did not miss that Steve was at his side, with an arm around Tony’s waist. So they’d already gotten their act together without needing some overdone Valentine’s Day romance.

Dawning realization broke over Natasha. She swallowed and slowly turned to look at Pepper whose face was turning the color of her freckles.

But their eyes met and Natasha refused to back off, refused to hide from the naked emotion in Pepper’s beautiful blue eyes.

Natasha didn’t know what to do now. This was not something she’d trained for, not something she’d planned for and she _hated_ unplanned missions. But Pepper just smiled and offered her hand to Natasha. “Would you have dinner with me, Natasha?” she asked.

Natasha blinked as Pepper’s shy smile hit her like a repulsor blast. But she conjured a smile, small and shy, from somewhere and nodded as they walked toward the beautifully set table. And someday soon, very soon, she’d get both Tony _and_ Clint for making her do the work on her own damned dinner.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, ladies,” she heard from behind her. Then there was the noise of a scuffle and some swearing, most likely from Tony, before the lights dimmed, the television switched off, and soft music swept through the room.

“It’s terribly cheesy,” Pepper said, but grinned as she allowed Natasha to help her with her chair.

“It is,” Natasha agreed, her smile growing.

“Shall we make the most of it and then have some fun with the boys later?” Pepper’s tone was mischievous and the light in her eyes made Natasha’s heart skip a beat.

“Revenge is best on a full stomach,” Natasha agreed. Just because this was something that she hadn’t even allowed herself to want didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to enjoy every moment exacting payback. After dinner… and whatever else might come.

The End


End file.
